SIRHA celebrates 50 years

Fifty years of service are being celebrated at the Southern Iowa Regional Housing Authority this year. This Creston-based public agency provide housing and rent assistance to low-income families and seniors in a 13-county range, including Union County.

SIRHA Executive Director Billie Jo Greenwalt, who has been a member of the organization for 31 years, said that program numbers are the biggest change since SIRHA’s 1976 beginning.

“The amount of people that we serve [has changed]. Our funding, thank God, has increased over the years because there’s a need for it,” Greenwalt said. “Definitely technology. And then of course staff. So I would say those are the main things. But the amount of people that we serve obviously has increased, and we’re happy about that because there’s a need for it.”

Greenwalt joined staff and supporters from around Southwest Iowa Wednesday evening at Creston Eagle’s Club for the agency’s annual meeting, sharing recent statistics and updates.

The organization has two rental assistance programs, public housing and the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program.

SIRHA has 125 public housing units across six of their service counties: Union, Clarke, Decatur, Ringgold, Adams and Taylor counties. For 2025, Greenwalt said public housing was at 94% occupancy and the average monthly rent was $239.

The Section 8 Housing program is featured in all 13 counties, as well as Nebraska City, Nebraska. Through this program, Greenwalt said SIRHA helped an average of 992 families per month. Average monthly housing payments from SIRHA to the landlord was $547, while average monthly tenant payment to the landlord was $339.

In addition to rental assistance, everyone who participates in the Section 8 Housing program can also be a part of SIRHA’s Family Self Sufficiency Program.

“This program helps families set goals and achieve self-sufficiency while having the benefit of establishing a savings account while they work. This program is an incentive program for folks who want to work,” Greenwalt explained. “Once they reach the point of self-sufficiency by working full time, the money in their savings account becomes theirs. It’s a great program and has benefited many families over the years. In 2025, we averaged 39 families per month on the FSS program. Seven families achieve self-sufficiency and six of those received escrow accounts totaling over $33,950.”

During the annual meeting, two graduates of SIRHA’s programs gave testimonials about how the various programs and people changed their lives.

Season Larkin shared how she came into SIRHA housing as a single mother to three children.

“When I was accepted into the SIRHA public housing, it gave me more than a roof over our head. It gave me peace of mind. I knew that my family had a safe and stable place to call home, and that foundation meant everything to us,” Larkin said. “With that stability, I was able to focus on moving forward. I stayed committed to my goals and took the steps to build my career. SIRHA didn’t just support me with housing, it helped give me the confidence to believe in myself. It showed me that needing help during difficult times does not define who you are or limit what you’re capable of becoming.”

Around the same time Larkin was utilizing SIRHA’s resources, Amy Lawr was getting comfortable with the SIRHA staff.

“I was 16 with a 2-year-old and not a very healthy home life, so someone said, ‘Check out SIRHA and that might help you.’ After school one day, I met Brenda Smith at 300 North Oak St. and got my first apartment. Jamie, DJ, Billie Jo, Kathy, you guys all raised me as I raised my own kids,” Lawr said. “It took a lot of struggle, a lot of bad choices and repetitiveness, and I was finally able to get out. I got my RN and now I’m a hospice nurse and my kids are on their way to being successful. I just definitely could not have done it without this program without all of you.”

As the agency celebrates 50 years of these stories, they hope for decades more. Applications for both programs are available on SIRHA’s website or can be mailed out. SIRHA can be reached at 641-782-8585. Union County Section 8 specialist Myklyn Looney can be reached at myklyn@sirha-ia.org.

“We are here to help. If anybody is struggling or might need rent assistance, absolutely apply. And we have plenty of funding right now,” Greenwalt said. “We don’t have a waiting list. We’re here to help even if it’s short term. And when in doubt, we tell people to apply.”